A sincere and informative delve into all things boy-band obsession, I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story uncovers the layers of fanaticism at its most pure and delivers fascinating, surprising results in the process.

We all have our obsessions. Whether it be people, things, belief systems, or even sports teams, the spectrum of obsession ranges from the cute to the batshit crazy. The subjects in I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story straddle that line in the middle, as their obsession for boy bands of various ilk takes them through highs & lows, revelations and hard truths, and above all through a journey that is all consuming. Director Jessica Leski successfully delves into this world with curious mind and judgement on hold. What is revealed is a fascinating look into the belly of a fanaticism with a small “f.”

Featured in I Used to Be Normal… are four women: One Direction mad Elif from Long island; Take That obsessed Dara from Sydney; Backstreet Boys fanatic Sadia from San Francisco; and The Beatles maniac Susan from Melbourne. Leski expertly chronicles their stories and how it links to their fanaticism, proving that it is not the obsession that makes the person, but the person who makes the obsession. The popular opinion is that fanaticism and dogmatic attitudes go hand in hand. Yet Leski trounces that assertion, documenting her subjects over several years and showing a clear evolution in identity and outlook. Elfi is a fine example of this, with the gradual change from adolescence to womanhood bringing with it realisations that the sweet nothings her “boys” sang to her were but a thing of fantasy.

The subject of sex and sexuality arises as well, which is only natural considering most of these obsessions began during adolescence. Yet it’s not lust that it arises here, but empowerment in the identifying and acceptance of feelings raw and true. For Dara this leads to the realisation of her sexual identity. For Susan, it’s a strength that kept her moving forward during hard times. For Sadia, it’s the acceptance that perhaps a creepiness is inherent in the frothing over these pin-point marketed young men.

Leski expertly explores this spectrum of obsession with broadmindedness and a positively inquisitive nature. The result is an engrossing and wonderful documentary that proves that while the boy-band genre is a mans world, it ain’t nothing without a woman or a girl.